Sheffield_Tiger
Guru
Old bikes. Nightmare. Seized and rusted parts - fused stems and seatposts, pedals well stuck into cranks..
So I picked this cheapie up on eBay - all scraped and battered - to tidy up and feared the worst when the l/h crank dustcap was stuck and shattered, digging out pieces of plastic before I could get the crank puller screwed in. I thought I was in for a night of "if it can get stuck it will".
After that things just came apart a dream. Looked at the mudguards all faded and scuffed..then looked again and scraped them with a fingernail...I was right - this 25 year old clunker still had the plastic coating on the dazzling as-new chrome - I could sell them alone as NOS for more than the bike cost me.
Even the fixed b/b cup came out with just a 12" adjustable spanner - no pratting about with M16 bolts and locknuts - first time for everything!
Shame it's a nasty gaspiper but it's yielded enough good parts for another couple of bikes. Might strip it and rattlecan it though
So I picked this cheapie up on eBay - all scraped and battered - to tidy up and feared the worst when the l/h crank dustcap was stuck and shattered, digging out pieces of plastic before I could get the crank puller screwed in. I thought I was in for a night of "if it can get stuck it will".
After that things just came apart a dream. Looked at the mudguards all faded and scuffed..then looked again and scraped them with a fingernail...I was right - this 25 year old clunker still had the plastic coating on the dazzling as-new chrome - I could sell them alone as NOS for more than the bike cost me.
Even the fixed b/b cup came out with just a 12" adjustable spanner - no pratting about with M16 bolts and locknuts - first time for everything!
Shame it's a nasty gaspiper but it's yielded enough good parts for another couple of bikes. Might strip it and rattlecan it though